Some Democrats Are Irked at Cost of Primary

By HOLLI CHMELA

Published: March 26, 2006

IN a year when Democrats in Washington need as much campaign cash as they can scrape together to try take back control of the House of Representatives, the little-publicized primary race in New Jersey's 13th Congressional District threatens to dry up the tens of millions of dollars collected by two Democratic candidates with proven fund-raising abilities.

Albio Sires, the mayor of West New York and the former speaker of the State Assembly, has locked up the support of leading New Jersey Democratic leaders and amassed more than $1 million so far in campaign funds. By the end of the next filing period, in two weeks, the Sires camp expects to have increased that to about $1.5 million.

Not that Mr. Sires's only opponent in the 13th Congressional District, Mayor Joseph Vas of Perth Amboy -- whose fund-raising goal is $1 million by the June 6 primary -- is a slouch at raising money. Mr. Vas, who is also an assemblyman, has collected more than $400,000 in Perth Amboy alone and his campaign aides say they plan to net a similar amount next month at a major fund-raising event at a Manhattan club owned by the rapper Jay-Z.

Both candidates have said they would like to contribute to the national party's efforts to retake control of the House, which now has 231 Republicans and 201 Democrats (there are 2 vacancies and 1 independent). But how much they can contribute depends very much on how much they are forced to spend in the primary.

To Democratic leaders here, the 13th District is looking more and more like a financial sinkhole, since winning the primary in this Democratic stronghold is tantamount to election.

''It's natural that the national party would look to a blue state like New Jersey for some help,'' said David Rebovich, director of the Rider Institute of New Jersey Politics.

As for a potentially expensive primary campaign, Mr. Rebovich said, ''I'm sure tempers are flaring in Washington because of this.''

The degree of concern among national Democratic leaders was underscored recently when Representative Rahm Emmanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, met privately with Mr. Sires, whose fund-raising abilities and deep pockets are widely coveted. But it is clear to those who knew about the meeting that Mr. Sires' ability to help the party would be hindered by a primary challenge.

The intramural fight in New Jersey could not have come at a worse time for Democratic legislators here. At the moment, the Democrats trail the Republican Congressional Committee in raising funds: Democrats have $15.6 million in the bank, compared with the $19.7 million that Republicans have, according to campaign finance disclosure statements.

Both parties have already spent tens of millions of dollars, yet it is not at all clear what the Democrats can do to stop the financial drain from the Sires-Vas race. Publicly, leading national Democrats say they are staying out of the contest, although closer to home, Gov. Jon S. Corzine and former Gov. Richard J. Codey have endorsed Mr. Sires.

At this point, Democratic frustration is palpable.

''We're in a tight Senate election,'' one Democratic strategist complained, referring to the United States Senate race between Senator Robert Menendez and his Republican challenger, State Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. ''Rather than spend a lot of money on a race that's not highly contested for the Democrats, why not spend money on an election to ensure we have a Democratic senator?''

But while Mr. Vas is clearly trailing, he shows no signs of backing down, even as he acknowledges that his insurgent candidacy caught people off guard.

''It's an anomaly to have a primary in New Jersey,'' Mr. Vas said in a telephone interview. ''And that's why I think a lot of attention is being paid to my race in New Jersey, and maybe even nationally.''

Photo: Joseph Vas, the mayor of Perth Amboy, is also a state assemblyman.